AFP PetitionsChristmas came early for state legislators as Americans for Prosperity gifted them 1,300 petitions demanding that someone, anyone audit the Colorado Health Exchange, Connect for Health Colorado. That such a move was necessary is galling as a bill requiring a full audit of the exchange, which is by most accounts on life support, was passed by the legislature in the last legislative session almost unanimously and signed into law this past April.

AFP State Director Michael Fields noted:

“We delivered nearly 1,300 letters from among our 127,000 Colorado activists, sending a clear message: auditing the Colorado healthcare exchange is a top priority for Coloradans.”

While the law scheduled a full audit of the exchange in 2017, the Legislative Audit Committee can vote to move the audit to an earlier date.

The shaky financial footing on which the health exchange rests also undermines the current ballot initiative that would bring government-run healthcare to all of Colorado, and with it, a $25 billion price tag. As Fields observed, “if the state can’t manage an exchange, how can anyone trust it with single payer?”

Indeed.